Indonesia to set NTT's El Tari Airport as fighter jet base

East Nusa Tenggara, Aug 5 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) is planning to make El Tari Airport in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), its newest home base where fighter jets will be stationed there to guard Indonesia’s southern airspace frontier.

TNI's Air Operation II Commander, Rear Marshal Budhi Achmadi, on Sunday acknowledged that the preparation will be long-term and require budget adjustments.

“For the long term, we will possibly allocate our funds to station our fighter jets here,” Achmadi stated on the sidelines of his working visit here.

He said El Tari Airport is located strategically near Timor Leste and Australia.

Achmadi noted that the support would reinforce the Air Force’s 226 Buraen Radar Unit headquarters in Kupang District close to the airport. The facility is Indonesia’s “eye” on airspace between Indonesia, Timor Leste, and Australia.

Meanwhile, Kupang’s El Tari Airbase Commander, Air Commodore Djoko Hadipurwanto, said that his airbase is ready to receive additional air defence facilities as he acknowledges the airbase’s strategic role in guarding the airspace near Timor Leste and Australia.

“Our facilities are now capable of supporting fighter jets operation,” he affirmed.